Politics & Film Series: Primary Colors (1998)

In this adaptation of the best-selling roman a clef about Bill Clinton’s 1992 run for the White House, the young and gifted Henry Burton (Adrian Lester) is tapped to oversee the presidential campaign of Gov. Jack Stanton (John Travolta). Burton is pulled into the politician’s colorful world and looks on as Stanton — who has a wandering eye that could be his downfall — contends with his ambitious wife, Susan, (Emma Thompson) and an outspoken adviser, Richard Jemmons (Billy Bob Thornton). This film illustrates the candidate-centered (“modern”) system of presidential nominations that replaced the system ruled by party bosses.

This film is the first in a five-part series entitled HOW IN THE WORLD DID WE GET HERE?? American Politics and Film.

Michael Krasner, political science professor emeritus and long-time political activist, designed this series to provide an entertaining framework for political analysis, and will introduce each film and then lead in-depth discussions after each showing.